Norquist proud of his influence

Grover Norquist has collected pledges from many Republicans that they will not vote for a hike of any kind. In an interview that aired Sunday on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” the head of the Americans for Tax Reform makes it clear he’s proud of his role firing up anti-tax fervor in Washington.

“The Republicans won’t raise your taxes. We haven’t had a Republican vote for an income tax increase since 1990,” he told Steve Kroft.

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When asked by Kroft if that were his doing, Norquist said, “I helped. Yeah.”

Norquist has come under severe criticism this week from Democrats for complicating the task of the supercommittee by pushing Republicans in Congress to steer clear of anything that smacks of a tax increase. Earlier Sunday, Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Patty Murray, two Democrats on the supercommittee, assailed Norquist’s influence over the GOP.

“The tax issue is the most powerful issue in American politics,” Norquist said to Kroft.

Norquist reiterated that he wants to starve the beast, reducing tax revenue so that the size of the federal government shrinks.

“I intend to win. I intend to be part of the whole effort to crush the other team,” Norquist said.

Decrying the notion of a safety net, he also said Washington should stay out of the lives of those in need.

“It should stop stepping on them, kicking them and making their lives more difficult,” he said.